42-37971

Delivered Denver 1/11/43; Gr Island 12/11/43; Assigned 335BS/95BG [OE-W] Horham 1/12/43; 8m, Missing in Action Brunswick 10/2/44 with Tony Tuberose, Co-pilot: Chas Kupka, Navigator: Melvin Spencer (spent only one night at Horham, never even unpacked his gear), Bombardier: Bill Whitman, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Gerald Bentzel, Radio Operator: George Calandros, Ball turret gunner: Chas Dillow, Waist gunner: Julius Miller (8 Prisoner of War); Waist gunner: Wilbert Mannie, Tail gunner: Vince Barbella (2 Killed in Action); left formation with #1 & #4 on fire, crashed Aloys Meiman’s Farm, at Recke-Langenakker, Ger. Missing Air Crew Report 2526.

Connections

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Units served with

The insignia of the 95th Bomb Group.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 95th Bomb Group 335th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: ASN 32511695
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Tail Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 95th Bomb Group 335th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 35389457
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Top Turret Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 95th Bomb Group 335th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 33206710
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Radio Operator
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 95th Bomb Group 335th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 15320274
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 95th Bomb Group 335th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O741988
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Co-Pilot

Places

Missions

Events

Event Location Date Description

Assigned

1 December 1943 Assigned to 335BS, 95BG, 8AF USAAF.

Crashed

Failed to Return (FTR)

10 February 1944 - 10 February 1944 Missing in Action Brunswick 10-Feb-44. Left formation with #1 & #4 on fire, crashed Aloys Meiman’s Farm, at Recke-Langenakker, Germany. (8 x POW, 2 x KIA) Missing Air Crew Report MACR 2526.

Revisions

Date
Contributoracbernstein1
Changes
Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes
Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Corrected a typo in the A/C "Description" - "Kupka" was misspelled.

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added a space before the words "Tail gunner" in the A/C “Description” to aid clarity.

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes
Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 2526 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database